XMB
Description
The Xross Media Bar (XMB) is the graphical user interface for the PS3, and includes ten categories of options; two more than the PSP:
Users, Settings, Photo, Music, Video, TV/Video Services, Game, Network, PlayStation Network, and Friends.
The dynamic lines on the background are more condensed into a 'ribbon' rather than the PSP's large waves, unselected icons shrink slightly and every selectable background color has been made a shade darker. The PS3 includes the ability to store various master and secondary user profiles, manage and explore photos with Photo Gallery or an ordinary musical/non-musical slideshow, rip audio CDs, rip iTunes AAC protected files, play music and copy tracks to an attached storage device, play movies and video files from the hard disk drive, an optional USB mass storage or Flash card, or an optical disc (Blu-ray Disc or DVD-Video).
More than two disc can be emulated and appears as such on XMB. See Category at PARAM.SFO
It also has compatibility for a USB or BlueTooth keyboard & mouse which can be used for navigate on the xmb or navigate to the web browser. It can be use also for homebrew such as MultiMan (since 1.11.01) or even launch a BD game. Unreal III is the rare example of this feature.
Web browser can download multiple file types but with somes restrictions set by the type of the files or web site. The Friends menu allows email with emoticons and attached picture features and video chat which requires an optional webcam (although the PlayStation Eye and the EyeToy are official webcams, most USB webcams will work). The PlayStation Network menu allows online shopping through the PlayStation Store. Also, the PlayStation 3 adds the ability to multitask in ways such as listening to stored audio files while surfing the web or looking at pictures. The PlayStation 3 XMB supports a variety of file formats. The PS3 reserves 48 MB of RAM at all times for XMB functions.
VSH
The Virtual Shell (VSH) encapsulates the XMB interface. It is loaded at:
/dev_flash/vsh/module/vsh.self
And has numerous modules and descriptor files. The VSH does not directly load the XMB interface, it loads support modules to do that instead. The modules directly responsible for the XMB interface include:
/dev_flash/vsh/module/ explore_category_friend.sprx explore_category_game.sprx explore_category_music.sprx explore_category_network.sprx explore_category_photo.sprx explore_category_psn.sprx explore_category_sysconf.sprx explore_category_tv.sprx explore_category_user.sprx explore_category_video.sprx explore_plugin.sprx explore_plugin_ft.sprx explore_plugin_game.sprx explore_plugin_np.sprx
Those modules are responsible for processing the XMB descriptor files (.XML format), used to generate the XMB interface. All of the above modules except for the "explore_plugin_game.sprx" and "explore_plugin_np.sprx" contain a full list and location of XMB configuration files and the "root" entry which is to be loaded for the root of the category, for each FW type CEX/SEX/DEX. Exactly which root XML entry is used depends on the FW type (CEX/SEX/DEX) of the VSH.self. It's important to note that the explore_plugin.sprx is capable of managing many of the XMB categories, and thus, not all of these modules might be in use at any one time. (The explore_plugin.sprx is actually kept available to the VSH.self and other modules through the xmb_plugin.sprx and xmb_ingame.sprx see Module Action)
XMB Configuration Files
These are .XML files which outline the logic of XMB categories. For information on the structure of the files, see XMB XML Coding. All of the XMB .XML configuration files are located here:
/dev_flash/vsh/resource/explore/xmb/
| XMB Category | CEX .XML filename | CEX Root Entry | DEX .XML filename | DEX Root Entry | SEX 'Demonstration Mode' .XML filename | SEX 'Demonstration Mode' Root Entry | SEX 'Unlocked Mode' .XML filename | SEX 'Unlocked Mode' Root Entry |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Users | category_user.xml | root | category_user.xml | root | category_user_shop.xml | root | category_user.xml | root |
| Settings* | category_sysconf.xml | root | category_sysconf.xml | root | category_sysconf_shop.xml | root | category_sysconf.xml | root |
| Photo | category_photo.xml | root | category_photo.xml | root | category_photo.xml | shop_root | category_photo.xml | root |
| Music | category_music.xml | root | category_music.xml | root_for_dex | category_music.xml | root | category_music.xml | root |
| Video | category_video.xml | root | category_video.xml | root_for_dex | category_video.xml | root | category_video.xml | root |
| TV/Video Services | category_tv.xml | root | category_tv.xml | root | category_tv.xml | root | category_tv.xml | root |
| Game | category_game.xml | root | category_game_tool2.xml | root_dex | category_game.xml | shop_guest_root | category_game.xml | root |
| Network | category_network.xml | root | category_network_tool2.xml | root | category_network_shop.xml | root | category_network_shop.xml | shop_staff_root |
| PlayStation Network | category_psn.xml | root | category_psn.xml | tool_root | category_psn.xml | shop_guest_root | category_psn.xml | shop_staff_root |
| Friends | category_friend.xml | root | category_friend.xml | root | category_friend_shop.xml | root | category_friend.xml | root |
* The VSH heavily regulates the Setting Category and the .XML file is only used by when accessing the XMB "in-game", even then it restricts what parts of the .XML are actually shown. It is not possible to modify the Settings Category to any effect by editing the .XML configuration file
This table is not inclusive of other PS3 firmwares, but their root entries are present in all PS3 Firmwares. All PS3 Firmwares (CEX/DEX/SEX/...) contain the *same* XML configuration files for any given firmware version.
Other XMB Configuration Files
These are XMB Configuration Files which are used in the 'behind the scenes' of running the XMB.
| Configuration File | Directly Dependent Modules | Module Use |
|---|---|---|
| category_user_login.xml | Found in all "explore_*.sprx" modules, except "explore_plugin_game.sprx" and "explore_plugin_np.sprx" | XMB Configuration File for the 'Log In' XMB Category, which only shows when no user is logged in. |
| category_widget.xml | - | RSS Related |
| download_list.xml | data_copy_plugin.sprx, download_plugin.sprx, friendim_plugin.sprx, photolist_plugin.sprx, playlist_plugin.sprx, scenefolder_plugin.sprx, sysconf_plugin.sprx, videodownloader_plugin.sprx, webbrowser_plugin.sprx, webrender_plugin.sprx | Used For the Download of Photos/Music/Video to various external and internal locations. |
| null.xml | Found in all "explore_*.sprx" modules | Dummy File/Testing Purposes? |
| playlist.xml | filecopy_plugin.sprx, playlist_plugin.sprx | Creating Playlists |
| registry.xml | - | Used for the organisation of User Data which is accessible from the XMB |
| savedata_list.xml | ps3_savedata_plugin.sprx, ps3_savedata_plugin_game.sprx, ps3_savedata_plugin_psp.sprx | Outlines the XMB entries for creating new saves, for both PSP and PS3 games. |
| upload_list.xml | - | Photo/Music/Video Locations for Upload |
| videodownloader_list.xml | videodownloader_plugin.sprx | For downloading videos, to both 'secure' and 'not secure' locations. USB Mass Storage devices are not included in either. |
Sony Documentation
http://us.playstation.com/support/manuals/ps3/index.htm